British nationals feared to be among least 17 tourists missing after yacht sinks in Red Sea
Thirty-one tourists and 14 crew members were on board the vessel when it got into difficulty near the coastal town of Marsa Alam, officials say
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Your support makes all the difference.Multiple British nationals are feared to be among at least 17 people missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt.
In a major rescue operation, 28 people were saved from the imperilled vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam, and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment, the governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said.
Mr Hanafy said there were 31 tourists of various nationalities on board along with 14 crew members, with The Times reporting four British citizens were feared to be among those missing.
The Foreign Office would not comment on the number of Britons believed to be missing, but a spokesperson said: “We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Egypt and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Local authorities said they had received a report of a distress call about 5:30am local time on Monday from the yacht, which had left Marsa Alam for a five-day journey.
It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck motor yacht to sink. But the Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday had warned about rough weather, including large waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.
A person answering the phone at the company that operates the yacht, Dive Pro Liveaboard in Hurghada, Egypt, said they had “no information” and hung up when contacted. According to their website, the Sea Story was built in 2022 and can hold 36 passengers.
The Egyptian military was coordinating rescue operations with the Red Sea governing authority.
Many tourist companies have halted or limited travelling operations on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
Additional reporting by AP
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